Page 83 of California Dreaming

“You scrub up pretty well, bro,” Mila said.

Tessa knew that she and Arch were staring at each other in front of his mom and sisters, but she couldn’t tear her eyes away from him and neither could he from her.

Finally, he said, “You look like a dream, Tessa. Just as I knew you would. I’m so proud to have you on my arm today.”

The moment felt so special that Tessa wasn’t even worried about how openly he was complimenting her in front of his family and whether they’d cotton to her sexual relationship with him. Instead, she savored feeling like a princess. Or maybe more like Cinderella at the ball? All she knew was that every part of her being glowed.

Arch turned to his mom. “Are you sure you’re happy to drive us to the airport? I can order a car.”

“Of course,” Betsy replied. “I feel like I’m taking you both to prom!” she added in a teasing tone. “Except this prom involves a private plane.”

Tessa gulped. Of course Arch would fly on a private plane. She had no idea what the inside of one even looked like. It was the perfect reminder that, just as Cinderella’s magical night had to end at midnight, so would hers as soon as he was fully healed and she was sent off to her next client.

Although, for the first time, Tessa couldn’t quite squash the hope that it might all work out for her the way it had for Cinderella…

Chapter Thirty-Two

Tessa touched the smooth black leather seats in the limousine. There had already been so many firsts today. A hair and makeup team, the surreal experience of flying in a small but luxurious private jet, and then being picked up at the private airfield near Moab by a limo. It was as if she’d stepped into someone else’s life entirely.

And yet, here she was—Tessa Taylor, in an outfit so glamorous she did a double take every time she caught her reflection.

Arch was holding her other hand as he looked out of the window. The passing scenery was stunning. The desert was beautiful—rusty reds, ochres, and a thousand shades of gold, the shapes of rock formations from ancient caves and canyons, swirls and flowing arches that looked like rainbows. She was completely enchanted, and her fingers yearned for paints and brushes. How incredible it would be to paint out here, to capture the majesty of this place, although she was certain she’d never be able to do it justice.

Being surrounded by nature as powerful as this was a welcome reminder of how small her worries were and how much joy there was to be taken in the simple, natural things life had to offer.

“It’s incredible, right?” Arch asked.

She nodded. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It’s so… humbling.”

Arch smiled. “You’re right, ‘humbling’ is the word. As much as I love the ocean, there’s something about the desert that ignites a different part of me.”

He leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips. The screen between them and the driver was up and tinted for privacy, so she let herself relax into Arch’s embrace. It would be a while before she got to touch him again in the way she liked to. No… the way she needed to.

Luckily, Erin had packed her off with enough makeup for touch-ups during the event. Besides, he smelled so incredible there was no way she could resist.

By the time their kiss ended, the road had widened, and there were several other limos in the flow of traffic.

“We’re getting close,” Arch said, following her gaze.

She grew nervous again, the bliss of their embrace rapidly fading, but Arch squeezed her hand. “It’s going to be great,” he assured her for about the third time that day.

She swallowed. It was fine for him to say that—he’d been to countless awards ceremonies. But everything about this was new to her. It was unsettling.

And then as the road curved, she spotted the venue—and the waiting crowd—and the red carpet, lined with TV interviewers brandishing microphones and so many photographers she instantly felt faint.

She turned to Arch, aware her eyebrows had shot up to her hairline, and in a high-pitched tone said, “You told me this was going to be a small event. No big deal, you said!”

A flash of concern crossed Arch’s face. “It is a small event. It’s one of the smallest ceremonies I’ve been to. It is no big deal.”

She looked out the window again at the grand building and the huge crowd of people. The flashing lightbulbs startled her, and she feared she was about to seriously freak out.

“Tessa,” he said, his voice suddenly commanding, “look at me.”

She turned back to face him.

His expression was full of kindness and understanding. “I promise you I meant it when I said it’s a small event. But I should have been more thoughtful about your coming to it with fresh eyes. You know I would never want you to be uncomfortable. I’ll be with you the whole way. Can you forgive me if I didn’t think this through properly?”

His words were so sincere, and he was so quick to assume responsibility, that she felt her panic melt. Well, most of it, anyway. As long as she was here with Arch and he stayed by her side tonight, she would be fine.

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